The New York Jets knew they needed to address their holes at the wide receiver position this offseason. They didn’t have the cap space for a player like Stefon Diggs or Cooper Kupp, so had to wait for the market to cool to get a quality weapon on the outside.
Former Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions wideout Josh Reynolds should fit that mold perfectly.
Reynolds and the Jets agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million on Thursday afternoon, bolstering the team’s depth at wide receiver. Reynolds struggled to see the field due to a variety of reasons in 2024 – most not his fault – but has the kind of resume teams look for in a role player in the passing game.
And in the case of the Jets, the former Lion could be an ideal fit for their offense in 2025.
Reynolds’ Fit With Jets
Reynolds is not the only wide receiver New York has signed this offseason. The team signed Tyler Johnson as a speedy receiver who can add a different dynamic to their offense.
Unlike Johnson, Reynolds is a receiver who played in an offense orchestrated by Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. The former fourth-round pick was in Detroit from 2021-23, putting up 97 catches for 1,393 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Detroit’s offense got the best out of Reynolds. In his two full seasons with the Lions (2022-23), Reynolds posted the top two single-season marks of his eight-year career in both yards per target (8.1 in 2022, 9.5 in 2023) and passer rating when targeted (99.5 in 2022, 113.3 in 2023), per Pro Football Reference.
While Engstrand did not call plays in Detroit during that time, he served as the passing game coordinator, which meant he was integral to creating plays and developing a strategy to get the most out of the Lions’ receiving core. Reynolds will understand this and is familiar with the concepts that Engstrand wants to run.
Garrett Wilson is easily seen as the focal point for New York’s passing game next season. Having players behind him who can make big plays and be productive in their own right will be incredibly important.
That alone shows why Reynolds reuniting with Engstrand could be a massive help for the entire offense.
Jets Offseason Plan
While the Reynolds contract is another fair value for a player coming off a down year, his signing represents a small shift in how New York has operated this offseason.
At 30 years old, the Texas A&M product is the first 30-and-up player signed by the Jets this offseason. That’s due in large part to the reality that New York is looking to build a culture around low-risk gambles in free agency and homegrown talents that can develop into top players.
Additional free agents like tight end Stone Smartt, Johnson, and even safety Andre Cisco all have some semblance of potential and upside the team will try to get out this season. Reynolds is no exception. The only difference is that he is 30 years old.
The veteran has good size (6-foot-3), strong hands (career drop rate under 5%), and has proven he can be an impactful player in this particular offense. If New York can scheme some plays for him, Reynolds could very well be a cheap yet effective WR2 behind Wilson, potentially replacing Allen Lazard.
That is pure speculation, though. What we know is that Reynolds’ best years came in the offense New York wants to implement.
And for very little cap space, the Jets will gladly add him to their low-risk, high-upside list of free-agent additions.
